Family and Consumer Economic Policy: 
A Resource Guide for ACE 471
Prof. A.H. Beller
Spring 2007

  Legislative Sources Regulatory Sources   Statistical Sources
Illinois & State Government Consumer Information Program Evaluation
  Scholarly Articles Social Work/Social Policy Megasites   How to Evaluate Web Sites
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This page facilitates access to U.S. Government information sources related to federal policies on the family and, to a lesser extent, consumer protection and product safety.  These sources are available either online or in print format in the Government Documents Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For assistance, ask a Government Documents Librarian.
 

Legislative Sources

DATABASES:

• LexisNexis Congressional  For UIUC users only.
  Provides the legislative histories of public laws, access to full-text congressional publications, and information on members of Congress and congressional committees.
• Thomas
  Facilitates access to full-text congressional documents.  Thomas is more frequently updated than LexisNexis Congressional, but does not contain hearings.
• Legislative Branch Resources on GPO Access
  Includes links to the U.S. government's most important legislative and regulatory online publications.  This site's search engine allows users to search multiple resources simultaneously.
• Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
  An online catalog of publications distributed to U.S. Federal Depository Libraries since 1976.

ONLINE GUIDES:

• Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
  Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids is the educational component of GPO Access, the Government Printing Office’s (GPO) free online service of official Government information from all three branches of the U.S. Government. Ben’s Guide provides information and activities specifically tailored for educators, parents, and students
• How Our Laws Are Made
  This is a detailed and scholarly explanation of the legislative process from the Thomas web site.
• The Legislative Process:  Tying It All Together  
  This brief guide outlines the legislative process of the U.S. government.
• Federal Legislative, Regulatory and Judical Law Sources
  Designed for UIUC users, this guide facilitates access to legislative and regulatory information through congressional megasites, Thomas, LexisNexis Congressional, and GPO Access.

Congressional Research

Congressional Research Service

• Major Studies & Issue Briefs of the Congressional Research Service
  Location: Government Documents Library Microforms [non-circulating]
  Call No: MFICHE 328.37 M282
  Library has 1991-date. For earlier vols. see MFICHE 328.37m282
• OpenCRS
• U.S. Department of State - Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs
  This is a listing of the latest CRS reports issued to the U.S. State Department. Some Reports and Issue Briefs for past years are also available.
• National Library for the Environment (NLE) -  Congressional Research Service Reports
  The NLE currently posts 1344 Reports on environmental and related topics.
• Memory Hole Project - Repository for Congressional Research Service Reports

• Congressional Quarterly - CQ Weekly
  Published weekly, CQ Weekly provides extensive coverage of the activities of U.S. Congress.
• Congressional Quarterly - CQ Researcher
• NationalJournal.com
  National Journal Group Inc. is a leading publisher of magazines, newsletters, books and directories for people who have a professional interest in politics, policy and government.
   

PRINT RESOURCES:

• Congressional Quarterly Almanac  
  Call no. 328.7305COQ  
  No source provides a better overview of congressional activity during a given year.  
• CQ Weekly Report  
  Call no. 328.7305COQA 
  Consult this publication when seeking more current information or more detail than the Congressional Quarterly Almanac offers.  Note that the internal indexes for this title are printed on yellow pages.
• Congress and the Nation: A Review of Government and Politics  
  Call no. 320.973C76
  This set, which is similar to the Congressional Quarterly Almanac, covers congressional activity for the years 1945 to 1996.
• Congress A to Z, 3rd ed.  
  Call no. 328.73003C761999
  Explains congressional processes in accessible prose.
• How Congress Works, 3rd ed.  
  Call no. 328.73H831998
  This is another excellent introduction to congressional activities.

Regulatory Sources

There is a vast gulf between the passage of a piece of legislation and its implementation, and the first step toward bridging that gap is the creation of regulations--the detailed instructions needed in order to implement the requirements of law.  

Regulations are written by the federal departments and agencies responsible for their implementation.  They are first published as proposed rules in the Federal Register.  Following a period during which  interested parties may recommend changes in the draft rules, they are revised, published as final rules in the Federal Register, and then incorporated in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).  

The CFR is the body of all federal regulations currently in force.  It consists of fifty "titles," each of which is written by a particular executive department or agency.  Title 45, "Public Welfare," is the title that is most pertinent to this course.  Its print version consists of four volumes.  Regulations on consumer protection are dispersed among several titles.  Both the print and online versions of the CFR are updated annually.

The Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations are searchable from the "Regulations" link in LexisNexis Congressional, but search results can be hard to interpret.  Another version accessible only to UIUC users is available from Hein Online.  The most recent print versions of both titles and their indexes are available in the Government Documents Library.

Statistical Sources

GENERAL PRINT SOURCES

• American Statistics Index.  Bethesda: Congressional Information Service, 1974-.  
  Call no. 317.3Am33sup.  
  Indexes statistical tables published by the U.S. government.  Tables that are not available on the web can be found on other media with the assistance of a government documents librarian.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States.  Washington, D.C.:  U.S. Bureau of the Census.  
  Call no. DOC.C3.134:  
  This annual publication is the primary statistical compendium of the U.S. government and, for most purposes, the best place to start.  Its index--which refers to table numbers rather than page numbers--will lead you to roughly thirty tables on the textile industry and trade.  The online version of this source is composed of unwieldy pdf files, and most users prefer the hard copy.
• Statistical Reference Index.  Bethesda: Congressional Information Service, 1983-.  
  Call no. 016.3173St2.  
  Indexes statistics issued by state governments in the United States and a wide variety of private publishers.  The tables themselves appear in a microfiche set located in the Government Documents Library.  Ask a government documents librarian for assistance.

GENERAL ONLINE SOURCES:

• UIUC Government Documents Library - Statistics Resources Page
  This is a listing of many online resources useful for statistics research, gathering, and analysis.
• LexisNexis Statistical  For UIUC users only.
  This index is the online version of the American Statistics Index, the Index to International Statistics, and the Statistical Reference Index.  It indexes statistics published by the U.S. government, state governments, international governmental organizations, and many private sources. Tables that cannot be accessed online are usually available on microfiche in the Government Documents Library.
• U.S. Census Bureau Website
  This site contains more statistical data on the people of the United States than any other site.  Use the subject index at the top of the left-hand column to access data on everything from child support to women.

SPECIALIZED PRINT SOURCES

• Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Program Participation, 1990-1992.  By Martina Shea Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1995.
  Call no. DOC.C3.186:P-70/2/41
  "This report uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to examine the participation in various government assistance programs."
• Measuring the Effect of Benefits and Taxes on Income and Poverty: 1992.  Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1993.
  Call no. DOC.C3.186:P-60/186RD
  Provides data on the income and poverty status of individuals, families, and households receiving assistance through federal programs.

SPECIALIZED  ONLINE SOURCES:

• Consumer Expenditure Surveys
  Consists of Bureau of Labor Statistics data on consumer expenditures.
• Consumer Price Indexes
  Provides access to data and publications about consumer price changes.

Illinois & State Government

• Illinois State Government - from UIUC Government Documents library
  This is a listing general, legislative, executive, and judicial resources specifically for Illinois.
• Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability
• National Council of State Legislatures
• Illinois General Assembly
• Illinois Government - Agencies, Boards & Commissions List
• Illinois Commerce Commission
  The Illinois Commerce Commission is responsible under Illinois law for ensuring the citizens of Illinois safe, efficient, reliable, and uninterrupted utility service at reasonable prices. This site is good for consumer information and industry information.

Consumer Information

• Consumer Issues and Advocacy
  Includes directories of consumer agencies as well as indices and lists of related government publications.
• U.S. Consumer Gateway
  Serves as a guide to informed consumerism.  Provides information on banking, consumer protection, credit, and investing.
• Federal Consumer Information Center (FCIC)
  This site from the Federal Consumer Information Center is in a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) format, guiding users to information about federal services and information. It also gives a phone number to call if your question is not answered on the site.

Program Evaluation

• Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
  CBO aims to provide the Congress with the objective, timely, nonpartisan analyses needed for economic budget decisions and with the information and estimates required for the Congressional budget process.  CBO's chief responsibility under the Budget Act is to help the budget committees with the matters under their jurisdiction--principally the Congressional budget resolution and its enforcement. Links to CBO Publications.
• Government Accountability Office
  The GAO performs audits and evaluations of government programs and activities.  While some GAO reviews are required by law, the majority are undertaken through the request of a congressional committee.
• Congressional Research Services Index on CD-ROM (see the icon at Computer Workstation #1)
  Includes bibliographic records for CRS studies made available as part of the Major Studies & Issue Briefs of the Congressional Research Service microfiche set.  In response to requests from Congress, the CRS issues publications that include background studies, pro and con arguments, in-depth policy and legislative analysis, and legislative histories on every conceivable topic of interest to Congress.  Only a small number of these documents are available on the Internet.  The Government Documents Library's holdings for the microfiche set can be found in cabinet #21, which is labeled UPA (University Publications of America).
• Green Book 2004: Background Material and Data on Major Programs within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means
  A standard reference book on social policy, the Green Book consists of detailed program descriptions and statistical appendices.  It is also available in print (DOC.Y4.W36:10-4/).  1996, 1998, 2000, also available online.
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
  The Catalog is a compendium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities which provide assistance or benefits to the American public.  It is also available in print (DOC.PREX2.20:).

Scholarly Articles

• PAIS - Public Affairs Information Service
  PAIS International is a bibliographic index with abstracts covering political, social, and public policy issues.
• ISI Web of Science
  Includes citations and articles in the sciences.
• Social Work Research
  Specific journal title available through Online Research Resources (ORR)
   

• American Public Human Services Association
  This site is particularly useful for its Issues and Policy page.
• Intute: Social Sciences
  This is an online catalog of select resources of interest to researchers in the social sciences, selected by subject experts.
• Social Work Resources on the Web
  This Humboldt State University Library resource provides links to major social work sites on the Internet.
• American Health Line
  American Health Line provides daily briefing on health care politics and policy.

How to Evaluate Web Sites

Online Guides & Tutorials:

• UIUC Library - Information Literacy Services and Instructions - Handouts & Guides
• Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages - from Olin and Uris Libraries, Cornell University
• University of California, Berkeley - Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask

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